The Adventures Harry Richmond — Complete eBook

I declare. Honesty, bravery, modesty, and nice
looks! They are so nice in their style and their
way of talking. I tell her, our men may be shy
and sneering,—­awkward, I daresay; but our
boys beat the world. Do bring down Temple.
I should so like her to see a cricket-match between
two good elevens of our boys, Harry, while she is
in England! We could have arranged for one at
Riversley.’

I went, and I repressed the idea, on my way, that
Janet had manoeuvred by sending me off to get rid
of me, but I felt myself a living testimony to her
heartlessness: for no girl of any heart, acting
the part of friend, would have allowed me to go without
a leave-taking of her I loved few would have been
so cruel as to declare it a duty to go at all, especially
when the chances were that I might return to find the
princess wafted away. Ottilia’s condescension
had done her no good. ’Turn to the right,
that’s your path; on.’ She seemed
to speak in this style, much as she made her touch
of the reins understood by her ponies. ’I
’ll take every care of the princess,’
she said. Her conceit was unbounded. I revelled
in contemptuous laughter at her assumption of the
post of leader with Ottilia. However, it was
as well that I should go: there was no trusting
my father.

CHAPTER XLIX

WHICH FORESHADOWS A GENERAL GATHERING

At our Riversley station I observed the squire, in
company with Captain Bulsted, jump into a neighbouring
carriage. I joined them, and was called upon
to answer various inquiries. The squire gave me
one of his short tight grasps of the hand, in which
there was warmth and shyness, our English mixture.
The captain whispered in my ear: ’He oughtn’t
to be alone.’

‘How’s the great-grandmother of the tribe?’
said I.

Captain Bulsted nodded, as if he understood, but was
at sea until I mentioned the bottle of rum and the
remarkable length of that old lady’s measurement.

‘Ay, to be sure! a grand old soul,’ he
said. ’You know that scum of old, Harry.’

I laughed, and so did he, at which I laughed the louder.

‘He laughs, I suppose, because his party’s
got a majority in the House,’ said the squire.

‘We gave you a handsome surplus this year, sir.’

‘Sweated out of the country’s skin and
bone, ay!’

‘You were complimented by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer!’

’Yes, that fellow’s compliments are like
a cabman’s, and cry fool:—­he never
thanks you but when he’s overpaid.’

Captain Bulsted applauded the sarcasm.

‘Why did you keep out of knowledge all this
time, Hal?’ my grandfather asked.

I referred him to the captain.

‘Hang it,’ cried Captain Bulsted, ’do
you think I’d have been doing duty for you if
I’d known where to lay hold of you.’

‘Well, if you didn’t shake hands with
me, you touched my toes,’ said I, and thanked
him with all my heart for his kindness to an old woman
on the point of the grave. I had some fun to
flavour melancholy with.